Hydraulic adjustment for v-type ditching blades



R. C. CHATTIN Dec. 15, 1953 4 Sheets-Sheet l Filed Nov. l5, 1946 3 lz/en'l'or", Robert C -`@MdT/'n A orn @y MU um. o Q l, E v N. 1 mn @d om E o nm man o Nh on s nm hm @wem S u 0 Q ma 43 G n u@ mi WW no Sn am S Nh O S l n B. m n .m6

OV s #n w wm mmm s R. C. CHATTIN Dec, 15, 1953 HYDRAULIC ADJUSTMENT FOR V TYPE DITCHING BLADES 4 sheets-sheet 2 Filed Nov. l5, 1946 R. C. CHATTIN Dec. 15, 1953 HYDRAULIC ADJUSTMENT FOR V TYPE DITCHING BLADES 1 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed NOV. 15, 1946 R. C. CHATTIN Dec. 15, E953 HYDRAULIC ADJUSTMENT` FOR lV TYPE DITCHING BLADES Filed Nov. 15, 1946 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 Patented Dec. 15, 1953 UNITED STTES -PTENT OFFICE i1 Claims.

My invention relates to "a 'ditching machine particularly adapted forthe constructiionjoffir'- rigation ditches, and has 'for its particular jo'bje'ct the provision of a vmachine which lis sj'turdily but simply constructed, one 'which may loemagie quite large so as to doheavywork, and one which is adjustable to dig ditches of various 15r0les. It is particularly vadapted to construct a ditch having a relatively Wideflat bottom and steeply inclined sides, thereby to'permitlargje quantities lof water to flow 'therethru 'Withon' t interposing substantial ric'tional resistance to flow.

A f urther object of my invention 'is to provide ajditching machine of this character `which may be used yto dig in relatively virgin soil. Th'atis, this object of my invention is to provide afstu'rdily constructed machine having al`nlov.f point for entering turf and relatively hard `packed soil, and to distribute the 'dirt thus loosened toward the sides of the ditch to provide a ditch of predetermined prole. y

A further object of my invention is to "provide a machine of this character with lateral or vying portions `which prole the sides of "said ditches and maintain said profile and with trailingviings which level the tops of s aid ditches, but which are yieldingly mounted, so that if they st'r'ike an obstruction such as va large rock, 'or heavy shoulder, or compacted earth or gravel', they will lift over and away from Vsaid obstruction without interposing rupturing or breaking Astrains upon the mechanism.

A further object of my invention is' to yprovide a Vditching mechanism of this character 'which may be used to clean debris and growth in 'a present ditch, or to change the yprofile thereof while accommodating itself to the general "size and pattern of said ditch.

A further and more sp'ecic object of my linvention is to provide an axle structure ina ditching machine of this character whichis strong and sturdy, is adjustable as to length', and is capable of withstanding unusual stresses produced by severe usage.

A further and more specific object of mying vention is to provide a ditching machine of this character which has a plow point4 whichjr'nay ,be lifted or lowered, which may be changedjn angular position in a vertical plane, and, which may be adjusted with regardto trailing and g outwardly diverging wings pivotal 1y secured thereto.. A further object of my invention istoprovide a ditcher of this character in whichthediverging wines may Vbe setto diferentlevelaso, that-e ditch may be constructed which throws .banks hereinafter described with reference to the'accompanyingdrawings, in which; w, @Fiajl gils. a 1111er.; View@ a vdither @mintige my invention, i show fthe wing portions thereof fldd-f0ward-th median, line;

Fig- 2 ifs aneleretibn ofsaiddithr; 'Stils a schematic drawing. .illustratie the Pfarrer iirwhieh. various "PrO-files met be C61?,- Struct'd, 'and a :"rrefer'red mme@ ef farm I .L

a higieriatbttorh 'from che which g'h-flikehohom; .7. Fig'. s a fragmentary view with` port' ns ho'wn brlrenfaway of the trailing, re'siliently mounted wing -'carried bythe divergent primary wing/at each side of said oitche'r;

Fig. "5 isa 'sideeleyatin of the` pointed forward end of a di ycher w ith lcvirtions shown 'bro n away 'to 'disclose details of construction thereof; Fig. 6 is a hydraulic diagram'showingjthe cshytrolling Bp stonflajl'ic'i-cylir'ider elements A "r 'manipulatingrthe "severalpart's of 'said diteher'; y Fig. 7 is fragmentary 'perspective 'View or forward han "of my cutanei taken substantially 'on the'lie 1-1 'in `1'; f

Fig. re Vis asectinaiview taken oh the unes-.3 in Fig. 1 'of the axle assembly and the parte directly secre'd thereto, not showing, however, the portions of (said ditch'er which lie ahead of said axle assembly; 1 i

r Fig. 9 is alh'ydraix'lc diagram of the control mechanism, which is a modification of my invention;arid j ',Fig. 7,10 isza; view, similar toy Fig. 8 of anefax'le assembly `embodying..the modification -for which the diagram shown gin. Fig. 9 ispintended.

Alditcher embodying my invention v comprises a. central :beamY assemblyl I which extends .longitudinally and centrally of said ditcher. Secured ,to the forward endr la thereof is a 'hitch .beam This is astiff member and carriesar caster whtel 3 at, tsforward end which providesthe forwardA support for the ditcher. A .transverse axleassembly 4 .supports vthe after yend of the beam. Lateral arms 5 are secured tothe ends ,otsaidaxle as senfiblyrand carry/ offsetaxles 6, 9111@ .11W/e, ground-.engaging :Wheels-V ,7 VJ'01,113?@lit- 31 thereon,. A piowfpoint iswelded to the forward @rid O f heaml.v vI l ,1` I 1g ed. lysecured tothe trailing endefSd Plow minuta pair Offinteimedie'ie dyeiie Wings 9 Hiagedlr .seured t0 the trail: i sedges Orth..l terme-diamants are efmera wings T. To the trailing ends of the primary described, so that said ground-engaging elements may be moved laterally to vary the width of a ditch to be dug by a machine embodying my Y invention.

The connection between the central beam assembly and the hitch beam is as' follows: Se-

cured to the forward end of the beam assembly I is an upstanding bifurcated fitting I2 which straddles the after end 2a of the hitch beam 2. Spaced from the extreme after end of said hitch beam is a pivot bolt I3, which passes thru and is journaled in apertures in the sides of the bifurcated fitting. Said pivot bolt provides the pivotal connection between the hitch Vbeam 2 and the beam assembly I. Cotter keys I3a hold the pivot bolt in place and prevent lateral motion thereof. The extreme after end of the hitch beam carries an adjusting shaft I4 which passes transversely thru the hitch beam, and the ends thereof pass thru arcuate slots I5 in the sides of the bifurcated fitting I2, as is shown in Fig. 5. Said bolt also passes thru 'and'. is secured to the lower ends IGa of a bridging frame I6. which extends upwardly from the bifurcated fitting. Seated upon said bifurcated fitting is a piston-and-cylinder element I1 for raising and lowering, effectively, the plow point. Said pistonand-cylinder element has a base I 'Ia mounted upon the bifurcated fitting which is secured thereto by bolts or studs I8. securely mounted on said bifurcated fitting by said fastening devices. At the other end thereof, a piston rod I9 extends. The upper end of said piston rod carries a plate 20, which is secured in turn byY a pivot bolt- 2I, which passes thru and secures the upper end of said bridging frame. The end of thepiston rod thus bears against the pivot bolt which acts as a cross member in the bridging frame, and the base of the cylinder rests upon and is secured to theV bifurcated fitting I2. The bridging frame is secured to the extreme end of the hitch beam 2 rearwardly of its pivot bolt, and thus when the piston rod is extended, it applies tensionto the bridging frame, tending to lift the after end of the hitch beam. When the piston rod is retracted, the weight of the ditcher pulls the bridging frame down with the hitch beam as it rotates counterclockwise about said pivot bolt I3. Said cylinder element I'I therefore need only be single acting, having conduits 22 and 22a leading to the ends thereof. Thus hydraulic fluid may be applied to move said bridging structure upwardly and may be removed to move the bridging structure downwardly and therewith vary the angle of the plow point withV respect to th'e hitch beam.

The plow point 8 preferably is made of two plates 8b and 8c, which join to form a sharp nose 8a. Said plates are inclined inwardly toward the top and slope rearwardly so as to provide a true plow contour. The forward end of said plates is braced by welding the bifurcated fitting I2l between them. Intermediate the ends. Qf. Said plates.

is a pair of webs 23 which join the bifurcated fitting I2 to said plates. Said plates 8b and 8c are thus firmly and securely joined together and to the beam assembly I, and thus the plow point is capable of sustaining substantial stresses without injury or deformation.

The intermediate Wings 9 are joined end-toend with the plates of the plow point by pintle pins 24. The plow points have plates 8d secured to the trailing edge of plates 8b and 8c, respectively, and the intermediate wing plates have similar plates joined to the forward end 9a thereof. These are adapted to aline and the pintle pins pass therethru to provide a hinged joint. On the back of the intermediate wings are a pair of adjusting plates 25 and 26. That is, there The cylinder is is one adjusting plate 25 and one adjusting plate 26 on the back of each intermediate wing, respectively. Each is provided with a series of apertures 25a and 26a, respectively. Said apertures are arranged in predetermined pattern and spacing to accommodate bracing members, hereinafterv described. The beam assembly also is provided with a series of apertures Ib at the margins thereof, which are arranged in spacing and series to correspond to the apertures 25a in the adjusting plate 25. Spanning hooks or braces 2'1 may selectively be seated with one end in one of the series of apertures 25a in adjusting plate 25 and the other end in one of the apertures Ib on the beam I. The selection of a proper aperture will not only control the angle of the intermediate wing at that side, but will also determine the lateral spacing thereof with respect to the beam assembly I. Joining the two adjusting plates 26 is a longer spanning hook or brace 23. Said spanning hook or brace underlies the beam assembly and is clear thereof. The ends engage selected apertures 26a in the two adjusting plates and further brace said intermediate wings and maintain the fixed spacing thereof, as determined by the engagement of the spanning hook or brace with the selected apertures 26a.

The trailing ends of the intermediate wings, respectively, have plates 29 secured thereto by bolts 29a. Each plate 23 has a pair of apertured ears 29h which are adapted slidably to receive a pintle pin or keeper 30. The angular relationship of said plates 29 may be varied. (See Eig. 2.) There are formed in the trailing edge of the intermediate wings a series of holes 3 arranged in arcuate pattern around a pivot pin Bla. Thus when bolts 29a. are passed thru selected holes 3 I, it will determine the angle at which the plates 29 on the intermediate wings, respectively, are fixed.

l The ears 29h on the plates 29 determine the pivot axis about which the primary wings IfJ swing. That is, ears 32 are secured to the forward edge of each of thefprimary wings, and the pintle pin or keeper 30 passes thru holes in said ears and in the ears 29h on the plates 29 secured to the intermediatewings, and the primary wings swing laterally about the axis of said pintle pin or keeper 30. Each of the primary Wings on my improved ditcher has a laterally extending brace and bracket 33 secured to the inner face thereof. Said bracket preferably is in the form of a Z-bar, as is shown in Fig. 8, so as t'o give stiffness to it. Said bracket serves not only to position the primary wing, but also to 'stiffen and give rigidity thereto. Apertures are arranged in the outstanding flange 33h of `said bracket, and these apertures also are ar- 5 ranged in `predetermirleiz spacing to determine the angular position of said primary wings. A pair of crossed brace lmellribers 3d are pivotally mounted on their forward end at 34a, and the trailing ends of said crossed brace members may engage a selected aperture 33a vin the bracket 33. I preferably arrange the forward 'end of said crossed brace bracket in an aperture similar to one of the apertures 33a and make 'the crossed brace members in the form of a spanning hook with dependent ends so that said crossed brace members may easily be removed for replacement, substitution or inspection.

On the rear edge of each primary wing, I mount a trailing wing Il, as has been described. This is secured by a hinged connection 35 (see Fig. 4fi) which allows said trailing wing Il to swing back and upwardly at the saine time. A stili prop 36 'is joined to the trailing end of the bracket 33, as is shown in Figs. l and 4, and this serves to steady and determine the angular position of said trailing wing. An eye 36a is pivotally secured to the free end of the stiff prop and a rod 3l', having a shackle 31a at one end thereof, is slidably mounted in said eye. filze shackle is secured to a bracket 38 on the rearward face of said trailing wing by a pivot bolt 38a. An annular washer 39 is slidably mounted on said rod intermediate the ends thereof, and a pair of opposed compression springs dil encircle said rod. One of said springs bears adjacent the bracket on one end and against the washer on the other, and the other spring bears against the washer on one end and adjacent the eye 36a on the other.

Said springs preferably have different strength,

and thus the spring of lesser strength will yield to permit the spring to move rearwardly under light obstruction, and the stronger spring will tend to be unyielding to said obstruction but will yield before said trailing wing will be broken or distorted by some larger or immovable obstruction.

The axle assembly is shown most clearly in Fig. 8. I preferably form said axle assembly of a series of encompassing and enveloping tubes. On the right hand side of said axle assembly, as viewed in Fig. 8, I provide three tubes lil, '62 and d3, which are joined together by pins t4 or by welding or other attachment. Inasmuch as said tubes are secured together, they have the effect of a solid, integral structure. I provide them as enveloping tubes, however, because this provides a simple structure but one which can be' constructed of standard and easily obtainable materials. The tube 4l extends well past the longitudinal median line of the ditcher and lies within the bore of the tube 45 secured at the opposite side of the ditcher. The tube d2 is short and provides a space 46 between its end and the end of the tube 45 to permit sufiicient lateral adjustment of the axle assembly. The tube 43 overlaps the end of tube 42 and provides an encompassing flange over the inner end of tube 55.. That is, tubes 4Z and 43 form Virtually the bell of a bell-and-spigot joint in which the end of tube 45 would form the spigot end. A nut fil is fixed in the end of tube el, and an adjusting screw d8 is journaled in a cap 55a in the end of the tube 45. Said adjusting screw is provided with a non-circular or a perforated end d8a, so that 'a pry or lever may be secured thereto. The adjusting screw engaging the nut 4'! thus moves the tubes 4l and 45, respectively, more or less in overlapping relation with each other, and thus varies the overall width of the axle assembly.

decaan The vrbs tubes (cohpisng group IIe-4 2@ 43 on one hand, and t t"A e Q55, O thefothelf hand) are rotatably sf orteil one upon the other, and thus the Iatealjarms 5 secured to the ends f the 'ane 4as;j sariiily may se adjusted to various angles. is, informing a ditch on sloping ground, the wheels I maybe Iset to dinerent levels so man chemischer may 'ride in a horizontal plane. The primary wings'are supported intermediate the 'ends Vby bifurcated brackets as, which are joi'iiiialeu upon the axle assembly. t the Iow'er ends of said brackets are bolts su, which are iined to plaies 5l. secured iq the primary wings 'to support inem. Said bolts -lifvde pivotal connection about al vertical axis between the' axle 'assembly and the bia des 'so afs to permit said primaiywings to be a iinstable laterally jana angolare' without 'setting binding strains. The lateral arms `5 'carrying the ground-engaging wheels are welded or votherwise secured to the part 'of the 'aide assembly on which they are mounted, aifdthufs Yorin virtualmente;- gial structures therewith. operating arms 52 are also welded or otherwise secured to the connected parts of the axle assembly so that the operating arm at 'one side of the 'ditenerjis operatively an integral structure with vtljle lateral arm which supports the ground-enf'gagng wheel on that side.

Hydraulic manipulating cylinders 'sg are pi-ovide'd, one for each voperating arm. That is, a separate hydraulic manipulating cylinder is pro# vided for each of the pair of primary wings. Each cylinder 53 is pivotally supported at one end upon a lug 54 secured to the `inside of primary wing l0. This provides a pivotal support for the forward eh'd of each operating cylinder 53. The piston rod 55 for each hydraulic 'manipulating cylinder is secured at its -free end to the free end of 'an operating arm by a ball-andn socket joint 5B, which is provided to eliminate the possibility of binding strains. Thus, as the piston rod 55 is extended from the cylinder, it moves the operating 'arms counter-clockwise, as 'viewed in Fig. 2, and when thepi'ston rods are retracted, theymove the operating arms clockwise. Ina's'iuch as said arms and the offset lateral 'arms 5 for the ground-engaging wheels 'l are operatively an integral structure, it will move said lateral arms for the rgroundengaging wheels similarly. ,'Conduitsh'l and 5S lead to the two ends of 'each hydraulic manipulating cylinder 53, which cylinders are individually operable and capable of .moving said piston rod outwardly under close control. The several operating cylinders and their conduits are illustrated in Fig. 6.

The hydraulic system vis iilledwith hydraulic iiuid maintained 'ulder substantial pressure by a pump 59. Supply line 6 0 leads to a distributing valve 6l, and a return line v62 is connected to 'a reservoir B3. The pair of hydraulic manipulating cylinders 53 and the' lifting piston-and-cylindex' element H for the forward end of the machine 'are Shown connecte'dby their conduits. It is tobe noted that all supply lines to the' several cylindersare connected directly with the distributing valve and all return lines are connected to or thru the reservoir to the return line to the pump. Thus each cylinder is supplied by a separate line to the pump and thru the distributing valve, but yet they are all interconnected by a hydraulic system and receive their fluid from a common reservoir. The cylinders are controlled'by separate levers *64, arranged in a bank immediately oward of the' diverss'eat 65. Thus each cylinder may beeselectively actuated in either of two opposite directions by means of a selective operating lever. I' preferably. provide a manually operable pump, and to this end provide a handle 59a forboperating said pump and maintain the hydraulic fluid at a proper pressure level at all times.

Said ditcher is adapted t be pulled by a tractor, and to this end has a connection 66 at the forward end of the hitch beam 2. Iv preferably provide a vertical bump bar 51 at the forward end of said hitch beam. The purpose of element 61 is to provide a vertical bump. bar. When the ditcher is in operation, many times the ditcher operator allows the ditcher to take too much cut, which, stalls the tractor and in which case the tractor is backed up against the bump bar 6'! and the ditcher pushed back to relieve it from the load so that it may be more easily adjusted for depth of cut. The connection between a tractor and the ditcher is susceptible of many diiferent applications. The ditcher may be drawn by two tractors pulling thru a pivoted equalizer bar secured to the connection 65, an offset hitch may be provided secured either at said connection 66 or to some other firm and secure part of the ditcher, or any combination of these pulling connections can be provided which provide sufficient pulling power to move the ditcher along and cause it to operate properly.

In Fig. 3, I have indicated how a ditch is commonlykformed. At the outset, and particularly in unbroken ground or in hard pan, it is necessary that the plow point be inclined downwardly at a substantial angle. Thus the bottom of a ditch would be formed with a V-shaped bottom, as is indicated in unbroken lines in Fig. 3. Thereafter, it is desirable that it be made into a iiat bottom ditch, as indicated in dotted outline. This may be done by increasing the angle between the intermediatewing and the primary wing by adjusting the bolts 29a in the plates 29 and/or the angle of the plow point with respect to the hitch bar, so that the plow point and/o1' the intermediate wings will lie atwise in the ditch and the primary wings will extend upwardly and outwardly at a sharper angle. Because of the articulated connections between the several groundengaging tools of said ditcher, it is quickly adjustable and is capable of being set to form a multiplicity of contours of ditches, ditches in which one side is higher than the other and ditches having various types of bottoms, V-shaped and at. Because the spanning hooks joining Vthe several wings to the beam assembly and to the wings at the opposite sidesare removable and adjustable, it is possible to set 'the wings at dierent angles and different spacing, and thus one wing may be arranged at a sharper angle and be less divergent than the. other. This is particularly useful in forming a ditch on a hillside.

In Fig. 10, I illustrate a hydraulic cylinder 68 for varying the overall length of the axle, which would be varying the overall width of the groundengaging or working tools. This comprises a double acting cylinder 68, having conduits 69 and G9a leading to the ends thereof. The cylinder is pivotally mounted at one end 68a and the piston rod 'l0 is pivotally joined to the axle section at the opposite side of the ditcher. In Fig. 9, the hydraulic system is illustrated. I provide an additional control lever 64a for operating said cylinder, but otherwise. the same reference characters are given to the similar parts as the ones applied to them in Fig. 6. A hydraulic cylinder arranged at this point provides an easy, quick and reliable means for varying the overall length of the axles and the lateral span of the groundengaging wings.

I claim:

l. In combination with a ditcher, a longitudinally extensible transverse axle assembly, said axle assembly comprising, a first tubular axle section extending toward one end of said axle assembly and a second axle section extending toward the opposite end of said axle assembly, said latter section comprising three encompassing -concentric courses, the inner one of said courses being long and engaging in overlapping arrangement the bore of the first mentioned axle section, the intermediate course being short to provide a space between the adjacent ends of it zand the first mentioned axle section, and the other course overlying the first mentioned axle section and slidably engaging in its bore the periphery of the rst mentioned axle section, said intermediate course and said rst tubular axle section each supporting one of a joined pair of articulated wings.

2. In a ditcher, a longitudinally extensible transverse axle assembly comprising, a first tubular axie section defining one end of said assembly, a second tubular axle section defining the opposite end of said axle assembly, said second tubular section comprising three encompassing concentric courses, the inner one of said courses being long and engaging in overlapping arrangement the bore of the first mentioned axle section, the intermediate one of said courses being short to provide a space between the adjacent ends of it and the first mentioned axle section, the last of said courses overlying the rst mentioned axle section and slidably engaging in its bore the periphery of the first mentioned axle section, the thickness of the intermediate course corresponding to that of said first mentioned axle section, a first wing pendent from said intermediate course, a second wing pendent from said first tubular section, said wings being interconnected at a point spaced distantly from said axle assembly.

3. In a ditcher, a transverse axle assembly, said axle assembly being longitudinally extensible and comprising a rst tubular axle section extending toward one end of said axle assembly and a second axle section extending toward the opposite end of said axle assembly, said second axle section comprising three encompassing concentric courses of varying length defining a bell joint and said first axle section defining a spigot joint slidably mated thereto, said sections being slidably engageable one in the other and being interconnected by extensible actuating means for adjusting the overall length of the assembly, and a pair of wings joined to said axle assembly at the points of joinder of said actuating means and axle assembly.

4. In a ditcher having a telescopic transverse axle assembly, a pair of series of articulated wings joined one to another adjacent the front of the ditcher, the rear portion of said pair of wings being pendent at laterally spaced points from said telescopic axle assembly, extensible hydraulic piston and cylinder actuating means interconnecting said laterally spaced points for changing the longitudinal dimension of the axle assembly and the lateral spacing of said pair of wings, a pair of movable hydraulic piston and 9 cylinder lever means engaging said axle assembly at laterally spaced points located inboard of said rst mentioned laterally spaced points and engaging said pair of series of wings adjacent the forward ends thereof independently to effect a vertical adjustment of each series of wings relative to the axle assembly.

ROBERT C. CHATTIN.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Re. 20,990 1,432,837

Number l0 Name Date Sincock et al Feb. 12, 1929 Martin et al Apr. 22, 1930 Chattin Oct. 7, 1930 Chattin Oct. 7, 1930 Briscoe Nov. 15, 1938 Frink Mar. 12, 1940 Gibbons May 28, 1940 Chattin Mar. 18, 1941 Garnett et al May 6, 1941 Hathaway July 8, 1941 Cundiff Nov. 4, 1941 Holland Dec. 13, 1949 

